Action for Brain Injury Week

20/05/2010

Headway – the UK charity working to support people who have suffered head and brain injuries – has launched their Action for Brain Injury Week 2010. Drawing upon research undertaken by the University of Warwick, Headway are calling for better information and advice to be given by hospitals to patients who have been treated or examined for a minor head injury.

The University of Warwick surveyed several hospitals across the UK and found inconsistent practices in what patients and their families are told about head injury and symptoms to watch for when they are discharged. In many cases, national clinical guidelines were not being followed by the hospital trusts. Although minor head injury is often just that, some apparently minor injuries can mask more serious problems that might not be immediately obvious on a quick trip to the casualty department.

Headway have devised their own factsheet "Minor Head Injury" to give information for patients and are encouraging accident and emergency units, and minor injury units, throughout the UK to adopt this a national standard to be given to patients on discharge. Across the country, Headway's network of local groups has taken up the call to work with their local hospitals in promoting better information for patients. Copies of the factsheet can be found on Headway's website http://www.headway.org.uk/.

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